Page 1377 - Week 05 - Thursday, 18 June 2020

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(4) to (12). Therefore it has to be different because how else could you take on both amendments? It would be impossible to take on both amendments if you cannot have a more dynamic arrangement like that. Having said that, Madam Speaker, I seek leave to move the amendment circulated.

MADAM SPEAKER: I do not believe that you need leave. Members, it is contentious. I must admit that I have made a ruling, but I did not catch on to the fact that (11) and (12) were not typos and were just an addition to Mr Gentleman’s amendment. Given that I have provided leniency for Mr Barr to talk, I will let the floor decide about the amendments.

MR COE: I move:

Add:

“(11) consult with the Leaders of all parties in the Assembly before additional financial measures are publicly announced; and

(12) calls on the ACT Government to publish, on an ACT Government website by 25 June 2020, General Government Sector:

(a) operating statement;

(b) balance sheet; and

(i) year-to-date; and

(ii) estimated outcome for 2019-20.”.

MADAM SPEAKER: With that, I will go to Mr Coe’s amendment and give you the call, Mr Rattenbury.

MR RATTENBURY (Kurrajong) (5.00): Madam Speaker, I think you are in a difficult position, but my personal view would be to have the Assembly debate Mr Coe’s amendment. I think that we are in the middle of a complex debate and it is an important issue. I think it is sufficiently different for us to have the discussion.

Mr Hanson: I agree with Mr Rattenbury.

MR RATTENBURY: That must hurt, Mr Hanson! Mr Coe is arguing about two points. One is about transparency. I think we are in unusual times, and a lot of points of transparency have been provided through this process. Mr Gentleman, in his amendment, has outlined a number of steps that have been taken, some of which are additional steps in the absence of the budget. We have the COVID committee which will continue, we determined this morning, until 27 August—until the end of the sitting period for this Assembly. Of course, we have brought back all of the sitting days that had been lost to COVID.

I think there is no shortage of opportunities for scrutiny provided in this place for members of the Assembly. Certainly, if we had been in the position that was mooted in March and April, when we thought the pandemic might curtail our activities much

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